Two police officers left some pretty scary information at our house recently: A convicted, sexual predator was being housed at a location within a mile of our home. The officers left a handout with the offender’s name, location and a photograph, and by doing so, fulfilled their responsibility to the law-abiding neighbors.
What is frightening, and the issue with which I take umbrage, is that community residents are forbidden to [quoting from the flier] “share the flier or information in the flier with anyone outside the immediate household.” The officer explained in further detail: If my friend’s kids come to visit in my home, I can disclose the information to them, but if I see the offender chatting up a child on the street, I may not intervene. My response: “Wanna bet?”
I believe the offender lost his right to anonymity when he committed a crime, was convicted in a court of law, and deemed likely to reoffend. Talk to me about protecting his rights after he has gone through years of rehabilitative therapy. Talk to me after he has been monitored for an extensive period of time and not reoffended, thereby proving his rehabilitation. Talk to me after he has held a job, paid his taxes, volunteered in the community, and earned the public trust.
If I am truly my brother’s keeper, I have no option but to warn my friends and neighbors about this predator’s presence. I will immediately intervene if he is hanging around a child, or a school, or the neighborhood swimming pool, or lurking outside the karate studio. Time and again, the long arm of the law has proven to be too short and too slow to enforce imposed restrictions. Let’s not forget that Megan Kanka’s murderer had two previous convictions but was allowed to continue living in her community without adequate supervision. I say it’s time we start considering the rights of law-abiding citizens and remember that law-breakers have abdicated theirs.
Remain silent? I think not.
Max
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